Convertible car



Nov. 16, 1926. 1,607,511

7 S. E. BRADY v CONVERTIBLE CAR Filed June 8, 1925 4 Sheets-$heet 1 i 5 Brady INVENTOR A l' IORNEY WITNESS:

Nov. 16 1926.

WITNESS:

S. E. BRADY CONVERTIBLE CAR Filed June 8, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 .5 l nu/ y,

INVENTOR ATTCRNEY Nov. 16 1926. 1,607,511

s. E. BRADY CONVERTIBLE CAR Filed June 8, J. 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 2 9 no a N uwmz A'l IORNEY WITNESS:

Nov. 16, 1926.

s. E. BRA DY CONVERTIBLE CAR Filed June 8, 1925 4 Sbeets-$heet 4 III 1 IIIIIIIII gin INVENTOR Al IORNEY Z s E N W W Patented Nov. 16, 1926.

s'rnrnnn E. BRADY,

or NOEL, MrssoUnI.

CONVERTIBLE can.

Application filed June 8, 1925. Serial No. 35,758.

slats which are connected together, and'supe ported on means whereby the said inner slats may be bodily moved and held directly opposite and in contacting relation with the outer slats, as when the car is to be ventilated in the shipping of live stock or perishable merchandise and also wherein the said inner connected slats may be moved to bridge the space between the outer slats and forced and held in tight contact therewith, as when the car is to be employed for shipping merchandise, etc. i

A still further object is the construction of a vrailway car in which the sides thereof, oppositethe central doorways therein, are formed of vertically arranged spaced slats of metal and which have inwardly directed angle edges, while similarslats having outwardly directed angle edges are connected together and mounted for movement upon rails'having oifsetpivotally supported portions,'there being lever operated means for swinging-the rails, whereby to draw the in ner connected slats away fromthe outer slats to permit of the said inner slats being moved bodily on the rails to arrange the same opposite and in a line with the outer slats or to arrange the said inner slats between the outer slats, a reverse movement of thelevcr forcing the flanged edges of the inner slats into tight'contacting engagement with the flanged edges of the outer slats and whereby one-half or all of the car may be closed or opened to suit weather conditions, as well as the conditions of the materials hauled in the car,

A stillfnrther object is the provision of a railway car which may be readily converted from an open or ventilated car into a closed car and which has its floor constructed of platforms, all except one of the end plat-f forms being hingedly secured to the side sills of the car frame, and whereby upon the removal of the said end plat-form the remaining platforms may be swung on their pivots as live stock and merchandise, may be likewiseemployed as an immigrant car.-

With the above broadly stated objects in view, and others which will present them-- selves as the nature of the invention is better understood, reference is to be had to the drawings which accompany and form part of this application.

In the drawings;

Figure 1 is a ide elevation of a railway ear in accordance. with-this invention. 1

F'gure 2 is an enlarged central vertical longitudinalsectional view taken through the major portion of the car.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view approximately on the line 33 of Figure, 2.

Figure 4 is a similar sectional view but showing the inner wall or connected slats moved between the outer slats, as when the car is to be ventilated, the construction also disclosing the platforms providing the floor reversely posi ioned with respect to the showing in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional View approximately on the line 55 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an enlarged substantially similar sectional view but showing the levers swung to arrangevthc inner slats or side of the car for slidable movement on the rails constituting the track.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan view with parts'in section, to illustrate the hinged connection between one of the floor platforms andone of the'side sills of the car.

i Fig. 8- is an enlarged perspective view showing the offsetlinks and a 'lugattached thereto.- a

The frame of the car 1 is of the usualcon? struction, and the car body is mounted on the trucks 2 1n the usual manner. The car is of the freight carrying type and is provided at its: center with oppositely arranged openings for the usual doors 3. The vertical posts atthe sides of the door-ways are indicated by the numerals .4.

Between the posts 4 and the ends of the car there are vertically arranged slats 5. These slats are in spaced relation and formed of metal. The edges of the slats areJl-anged, as at- 6. The flanges are inwardly directed and'form an obtuse angle. The slats 5 provide the fixed sides ofthe car.

The improvement embodies movable sides which are also in the nature of vertically disposed slats 7 that have their edges flanged, as at 8. These flanges are di'ected at outiii) les, and the distance between the the slats T equals the distance be oi the slats 5 and'their nanges 6. in other words, the flanges 8 of Z are designed to receive thereardly directed flanges 6 of en the inner side sections are the car from an open ed car to a cloIed car. The manuer in which this is accomplished will presently be apparent.

'lhe inner slats constituting the side members of the car are connected together on their inner faces by upper and lower cleats 9 and 10, respectively, and a brace cleat angled between the opposite ends of the cleats 9 and 10.

he slats "F atthe ends of the inner side sections of car as wellas certain of the intermediate slats '5, have secured on their inner faces, adjacent to their top and lower ed s, substantially U-shaped brackets 12 and i3, respectively, the lower brackets 13 beiig of a greater length than the upper bracrets Elie lower brackets 13 have journaled therein, adjacent to the upper portions thereof, grooved rollers 14L. Passing freely through the brackets 12 and 13, there are rails 15 and 16, respectively, these rails constituting a track on which the inner side members of the car may slide. The rails are preferably in the nature of cross sectionally round metal rods and have their ends offset, as at 17, and formed with straight extensions which are journaled in suitable bearings 18, respectively at the ends of the car and on the posts a. In addition to the offset ends 1?, the rails 12 and 13 are formed with cranked portions 19, resp-ctively, which are journaled in suitable bearings 20, respectively on the inner side sills or" the car and on the upper roof supporting sills. Either integrally formed with r fixedly secured to the offset ends 17 of the rails, at the portions thereof opposite the posts 1, there are angularly directed lugs 21, and to each of these lugs there is pivotally secured a link 22, respectively. The confronting ends of the links 22 are spaced and are pivotally secured to the ends or" substantially T-shaped head 23 of an operating lever Each 01 the operating levers has its head portion 23 centrally pivoted, as at 25, to the respective posts l. When the levers are operated to swing the cranked tracks 15 and 16 upwardly with respect to the car, the track 16 will engage with the rollers lso that the inner and conn cted series of slat sections may be moved bodily a limited distance on the said track 16 to either open or close the car, (see Figure 41). 1

By reference to the drawings it will be noted that the slats constituting the inner sides of the car are of a slightly less length than the lined slats constituting the outer oi the car frame limit the sliding movement oi the inner slats in both directions, so that when the side sections are moved their limit in one direction the slats thereof will be arranged. directly to the rear ot' the outer liXed slats. By swinging the lever to its initial ve ical position, the rails of the tracks will be swung toward the fixed side of the car, moving the movable side thereof so that the slats constituting the same will be received in the slats constituting- "the-fixed side, as dis losed in Figure 1. This provides a ven Now when the lever is swung iiated car.

s first described, and the sides are moved on he rails in an opposite direction the stop clen'ients will contact the slat 7 when all of the said slats 7 are arranged to bridge the space between the slats 5. By again swinging the lever to horizontal position, the tracks will cause the slats to be moved toward and likewise bring the fixed slats o their flanges 8 to engage with the inner races oi the flanges 6 of the said slats 5. This arrangement is disclosed in Figure 3 and the car thus converted "from a ventilated to closed car.

lVith a construction above described, it will be noted that the sides from either end of the central doorways may be closed or opened. By this arrangement any of the side sections may be ventilated or closed.

Also by this arrangement one end of the car may be closed and the other end. opened for ventilation. This is a very desirable feature of the invention, inasmuch as one end of the car may be employed for human freight and may be partitioned from the other end or" the car in which live stock or other merchandise is conveyed.

After the car has been employed for conveying live stock to its destination, the floor of the car must be thoroughly cleaned for the receptionof goods other-than live stock to be returned in the car. To provide for this I const uct the floor of the car in sec tions, all of the sections, except one of the end sections, being indicated in the drawings by the numeral 2?, the remaining platform being indicated by the numeral 28. The platforms 2? and 28 are of the same size and the platforms 27 have secured on the oppoof the posts a and on the end posts lit l ion lit?

the platform 28 is removed the platforms 27 may be swung upon their pivots to arrange their under faces uppermost so that any filth or dirt on the said platforms will be removed therefrom. The platform 28, is, of course, first removed and reversely arranged on the second end of the car.

'The simplicity of my construction, and the many advantages thereof, will, it is thought be perfectly apparent to those skilled in the art to which such invention relates without further detailed description. It is, of course, to be understood that I am not to be restricted to the precise structural features herein set forth nor to size, proportion or material employed and, therefore, I hold myself entitled to make such changes from the illustrated embodiment herein set forth, as fairly fall within the scope of what I claim.

Having described the invention, I claim 2-- 1. A railway car having a fixed side of outer vertically disposed slats, and an inner side of connected slats, a track on which the inner side is mounted for slidable movement, whereby to bring the slats of the inner side in alignment with or to bridge the space between the outer slats and means for looking the inner side to arrange the slats thereof in either of said positions.

2. A railway car having sides comprising outer vertically fixed slats, an inner side comprising spaced connected slats,supporting means for the inner side to permit of the said side sliding thereon to permit the slats thereof being arranged directly opposite the outer slats or to bridge the spaces between the upper slats, the mount for the inner side being supported in a manner; to move the slats thereon away from the outer slats for the sliding of the inner side and toward the outer slats for contacting engagementtherewith.

R. A freight car construction having fixed sides comprising vertically disposed connected slat; formed with inwardly directed angle edge flanges, and a movable side also constructed of vertically arranged slats having outwardly directed flanged sides, longitudinally arranged rails at the top and bottom of the car and constituting a track, said rails having offset pivotally supported portions, substantially Usl1aped brackets on the inner side through which. the rails pass, and the lower brackets having grooved wheels journaled therein which rest for limited travel on the lower rail when the latter is swung on its pivots in one direction, lever operated means for swinging the rails to move the inner side away from the outer side and to permit of the inner side sliding on said rails, said operating means comprising a lever having a T-head which is centrally pivoted to a support, links pivoted to the ends of the head, offset lugs on the rails to which the links are pivoted, stop means for en r when the slats thereof are brought opposite the outer slats or in a position to bridge the space between the outer slats, and said operating means for the track designed to be moved to initial position to bring the slats of the inner sides to engage with the outer slats when moved to either of its mentioned positions. 7

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

STEPHEN E. BRADY.

ging the opposite ends of the inner side fit) 

